


Stop Calling It a Host Club

by KBZ



Category: Eyeshield 21
Genre: Alternate Universe, High School - Freeform, Host Club - Freeform, Language of Flowers, M/M, Multi, Pairings to be added as more characters are introduced, Revised Version from FF, Sena is Small, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 16:38:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11339292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KBZ/pseuds/KBZ
Summary: Sena is your average boy attending high school, if a little cuter and smaller... A lot cuter and smaller...





	Stop Calling It a Host Club

**Author's Note:**

> Revised and edited version from my fic by the same name on FF. I'll be updating here primarily, and then transferring the chapters over to FF at a later time

“I’m _late_!” Sena Kobayakawa cried, as he raced past wrought-iron gates that closed in a palatial looking school. He was late for transfer student orientation, and now how would he ever know where any of his classes were? “I have to hurry–”

Sena ran full force into the broad chest of another boy, sending both of them to the ground.

“Nghh, sorry!” Sena said, scrambling back. “I didn’t mean–” Sena looked, slack-jawed, at a floating sign next to a ‘Taka Honjo’ who was brushing himself off.

 

_Name: Taka Honjo_

_Class: Second year_

_Birthdate: June 26_

_Height: 5’ 9”_

_Weight: 157.7 lbs_

_Status: Star football receiver; budget officer of United Athletics Club; second year class president_

 

The placard had a cream base with hazy purple flowers blooming around it. Sena – the son of two florists – should have recognized them, but instead he couldn’t take his eyes off the floating info card. His brain was trying to process what it was seeing and simply refused to accept it.

‘You’re on your own,’ Sena’s brain said, packing it’s bags and getting TFO.

“It’s fine,” Taka said, though his face (which looked miserable, and Sena didn’t even weigh much so he doubted it hurt _that_ much) told a different story. He picked up several black, thickly bound books that he’d been carrying. The breeze blew past them, mingling cherry blossoms into Taka’s long pale hair. “You must be new, I’ve never seen you here.”

Sena blinked and the placard was gone. “That… was that _real_? Am I going insane?”

“What do you mean,” Taka drawled, apparently too good for question marks and their corresponding inflections when asking something.

“That –! There was – this _sign_ and i-it said stuff about you like…” Sena clutched at his head, having probably hit it harder than he’d thought.

“What did it say.” Taka was frozen in place, his face scary looking.

“Okay, this sounds crazy, but it said stuff about your – your class information and how tall you were. Oh god, that sounds c-crazy, but–”

“You’re late to the assembly for transfer students, correct? It’d be useless to go now. Follow me if you’d like.”

Sena, having regained enough of his stances and abated another mental breakdown (for today at least), followed Taka. They entered the school, but instead of following the main hallway they veered left, up a flight of stairs, and arrived into a smaller room. ‘Smaller’ is used very loosely – the room could have been a ‘small’ ballroom with its floor-to-ceiling windows and marble flooring. Pale, sleek sofas were arranged around a coffee table. Several large, rounded tables dotted the expanse of the room. Desks lined the windows, each with a rolling chair and topped with a small reading lamp.

“I-I’m Sena Kobayakawa,” Sena said, his voice almost lost in how big the empty room was.

“It’s good to meet you,” Taka said, but again his face clearly said ‘I would much rather be anywhere else than here at the moment.’

“ _He’s_ new,” another boy entered the room. Swaggered into the room, maybe. He had the gait of a model, the body of a god, and the confidence of – well, there really wasn’t anything else to compare the level of self-assuredness the boy had. Meanwhile, Sena had lost the ability to form coherent words.

“Ngyuhhh?” Sena said, pointing, almost frothing at the mouth, brain shutting down when it tried processing another floating placard. Among pale blooms and roses, it read:

 

_Name: Takeru Yamato_

_Class: Second year_

_Birthdate: October 10_

_Height: 6’ 2”_

_Weight: 174.2 lbs._

_Status: Captain of the men’s swim team; public relations officer of United Athletics Club_

 

“Is he okay?” Takeru asked, his dazzling smile faltering. “I think he’s going to faint.”

“His name’s Sena, just transferred here. He… sees things.”

Sena made the vaguest gibberish sound, clearing his head and sitting up a little straighter once the placard vanished.

Takeru immediately sensed what Taka meant, and slid right against Sena on the sofa. “What did you see?”

“That you were –” Sena’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the arm that had been swung around his shoulders. “A little – little personal space plea–”

“This isn’t the time for that,” Taka said, removing Takeru’s arm in distaste. Takeru raised an eyebrow when Taka lightly settled his fingers on Sena’s silky hair.

“But I always love hearing about myself!”

“Haruto’s going to be here soon–”

Just like that, a blonde crashed through the window, glass tinkling as it hit the floor. _They were on the second floor_ , Sena thought. That jump was _impossible_.

The blonde’s said:

 

_Name: Haruto Sakuraba_

_Class: Third Year_

_Birthdate: March 12_

_Height: 6’ 1”_

_Weight: 163.4 lbs._

_Status: School idol; men’s tennis team second captain; member of United Athletics Club_

 

“There he is,” Takeru said and flipped through one of the black books without a care that the room was under attack.

(“Are, are you okay?” Sena went to help the blonde up, eyes wide.

(“Oh, yeah,” Haruto let out a shaky laugh as he used Sena’s hand to get up, “there’s more coming, so you should back away.”)

“There’s a very urgent–”

 _Crash_.

Just like that, another person somersaulted through another _second story_ window, but innocent Sena– who _had_ backed away in fear like he’d been instructed – ended up being crashed into. Sena and the other boy tumbled onto the ground, Sena beneath the newcomer.

“Hie,” Sena whimpered as glass cut into his cheek.

“What were you doing in the way,” a sharp voice hissed into his ear, enough to make Sena tremble in fear.

Sena’s brain was slowly starting to come to accept the placards, though in a very rebellious way that meant Sena still couldn’t say what the purple flowers were (but he did notice that some of them shriveled away, only to be replaced by different ones):

 

_Name: Shun Kakei_

_Class: First Year_

_Birthdate: June 6_

_Height: 6’ 6”_ (‘Are they all this tall?’ Sena whimpered internally.)

_Weight: 187.8 lbs._

_Status: Men’s basketball co-captain; recruitment officer for United Athletics Club_

 

Shun’s eyes widened momentarily when he leaned away from Sena, getting a good look for the first time. Sena tried wiggling away from underneath him, which only seemed to make Shun angrier.

“I’m sorry! I’m new! I didn’t mean to knock into you!” Sena babbled beneath Shun.

“Shun knocked into you, and” Taka said, “now you’re bleeding.” Taka’s disappointed look turned icy as he narrowed his eyes at Shun.

“I’ve got the first aid kit,” Takeru immediately removed Sena out from beneath Shun and sat the younger into his lap. He took out some peroxide and bandages.

“We’ve got an _inspection_ today,” Shun said, still crouched over Sena had been.

Takeru stopped dabbing at Sena’s face with a cotton ball.

“We have an inspection,” Taka handed a broom to Haruto and a vacuum to Shun, “and you thought crashing through a window was a good idea.”

(“I… I think I should leave. I’m intruding and…” Sena trailed off quietly. His brain, for whatever reason, seemed to click ‘on’ and now he was thinking.

(‘Something’s coming. Something dangerous.’

(He followed the train of thought. The inspector? No. She was good. Something else, then… something Other.)

Haruto’s sweeping was frenzied. “Well, you see, that’s the thing. She’s kind of on her way here already. We saw her park outside, and we were still walking back from practice.”

“That’s why I ditch morning practice,” Takeru placed a large square bandage on Sena’s cheek, relaxed and charming as ever, “more time that way.”

“We need to hurry,” Shun vacuumed the floor in the angriest manner Sena had ever witnessed.

Taka started to aggressively file away papers, extracting documents, and shredding credit cards.

“Last semester’s budget for novelty pens.”

“Toss it,” Takeru said, admiring a confused Sena on his lap.

(Sena’s body was full of anxiety now, hands shaking. “I think I should be helping.”

(“Just stay where you are,” Takeru let out a cheshire smile. Behind them, the vacuuming got even angrier.

(“N-no I mean… there’s…”)

“Summer semester client receipts.”

“Keep those.”

“Fan letters to Shun.”

“Burn them,” Shun said, vacuuming the curtains.

All four stopped, glancing at each other with a knowing look.

“She’s here,” Takeru surveyed the room. It sparkled at him. “Oh don’t forget that potted eggplant. They get so annoyed-”

“Takeru, you’re not in uniform,” Haruto said, rummaging through a supply closet for the potted eggplant.

“Ah, I forgot to change after practice,” Takeru picked Sena up, “take this,” and lightly tossed Sena into Shun’s unprepared arms. He started stripping.

“What the–” Shun stumbled back, fumbling with Sena. He ran into Haruto and knocked the eggplant out of his hands and sent it crashing to the floor. Sena and Shun tumbled onto the floor once again, Sena sprawled atop Shun’s chest.

Takeru, blindly flailing out of his athletic shorts, knocked the table over, sending parts of the black books into the shredder.

“Aw, shit.”

“Get _off_.”

“S-sorry, sorry!”

“The eggplant!”

“What is happening here?” a harsh female voice asked. Her placard shined at them, with a professional black border:

 

_Name: Megu Tsuyumine_

_Class: Fourth Year_

_Birthdate: November 28_

_Height: 5' 6"_

_Weight: 124.7 lbs_

_Status: Women’s softball captain; president of the Student Disciplinary Committee_

 

Sakuraba cleared his voice. “This isn’t that bad-”

Another boy crashed in through the window, sending more glass flying. The boy groaned a bit.

(‘We’re still on the second floor right? How are they doing this?’ Sena thought. He ducked closer to Shun in order to shield himself. Shun stiffened, cheeks started to heat up, and pushed Sena off.) By now, Sena’s mind had accepted that the information placards, this time surrounded by pale flowers, were just a new part of his life:

 

_Name: Kengo Mizumachi_

_Class: First year_

_Birthdate: December 31_

_Height: 6’ 7”_

_Weight: 189.0 lbs._

_Status: Men’s basketball team co-captain; United Athletics Club member_

 

Haruto turned back to the woman. “At least no one’s hurt?” he nudged at Kakei, who slapped both of his large hands over Sena’s cheeks to cover the bandage.

Kengo turned his face toward them, streaming blood from his temple, “Yo, the boss is coming to check on us, we have to clean up... wait.”

Takeru cleared his throat, “You know, the broken windows let in a _very_ nice breeze.”

* * *

 

“Missing members from a mandated inspection,” Megumi rattled off every infraction, “damaged products, half-damaged financial statements, reckless behavior, out of dress code, a broken eggplant, and a non-member present during restricted business.”

Shun stepped forward. “With all due respect, Megumi, you know that we have never presented the club like this before.” He glanced down at Sena, still hiding the bandages underneath his fingertips.

“Sena’s part of the club,” Taka said. All pairs of eyes turned to him. “He’s going to be the ace of the track team soon…”

“W-what? I–”

“So I decided that we may as well get his induction over with.”

Megumi turned to Shun, “Well? You are the recruitment officer.”

“It’s… true,” Shun said. His hands felt very hot against Sena’s face. His skin was soft. He cleared his throat.

“Be that as it may, it’s no excuse to have this place in such chaos. It reflect badly on our… _abilities_ if we can’t even keep a clean club house. Send in a request for new window panes by the end of today.” She slammed the door on the way out.

“That honestly wasn’t too terrible,” Kengo said as Sena wrapped gauze around his head. He leaned in a bit closer than strictly necessary against Sena’s slender chest, and of course, he probably could have done a better job himself.

“We still have twenty minutes before class,” Takeru said, “Should we tell Sena what’s happening.”

“We don’t need to,” Taka said. “He’ll know about everything before lunch.”

“I mean, we might as well do it now,” Haurto looked at his watch. “I have to go soon, my class is across campus, but it’s no big deal to explain it.”

The other four member exchanged looks that said that Haurto was missing out on some key detail.

“We’re the United Athletics Club,” Haruto said, trying to impress the other members. “It’s a club for the most promising members of the sport teams to meet and plan. We raise money for the school through various events and entertain guests after classes have ended.” Haruto waved as he left, “It was nice meeting you.”

Kengo nodded eagerly: “We’re like a host clu-”

“Not at all,” Shun said, “don’t call it that, idiot. We’re all underage, that’s illegal.”

“I trust what Taka said earlier,” Takeru said. “His talent measure is impeccable.”

“Sena can see things,” Taka said.

“Like what?” Kengo asked from where he was sweeping up the glass from the window he’d charged through. They all turned to look at Sena.

“Um, well, there’s this sort of placard thing that has your name and ‘status’, height and weight too,” Sena shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I thought I was crazy when I first saw it.”

“You know what this means?” Takeru asked the other members.

“I thought Megumi was lying about someone like him,” Kengo said.

“And you’re sure he’s–?”

“Oh! And there’s flowers too, a lot of them. But you all have different ones. I can’t remember what they were, because I was so shocked about, you know, seeing something like that just floating around, and… what?” All of the members had gone silent and completely still as they looked at Sena.

“There’s no way,” Takeru said, awe-struck.

“Incredible,” Taka whispered. “Incredible…”

“Ohh, so Sena’s my type then?” Kengo asked. “Awesome!”

“He’s mine too,” Takeru said, his smile brighter than before. He walked next to Sena and slung an arm around him. “You’re pretty cute, too.”

Sena felt his face flood with heat. “E-excuse me?”

“He’s all of our types,” Shun said, a bit petulant. “Even the ones that aren’t here.”

“Time for a major meeting then,” Taka said.

* * *

 

Except for maybe his side-to-side jumps and his diminutive size, to a random passerbyer, there was very little that was impressive about Sena Kobayakawa. He didn’t excel in academics, he never tried to join any extracurriculars, and he wasn’t a delinquent. There was something to be said about his looks, sure, and his personality was endearing, but his mousy demeanor stopped even that from being noticed.

In fact, hidden behind his stuttering voice and good manners were two important characteristics. One of which was something that Sena could not even begin to guess was hidden inside himself, and the other was his speed – something that he was intimately aware of. Without his speed, actually, none of the following could have ever happened.

If Sena hadn’t sprinted past a certain track coach that needed that kind of speed on his team while on a (literal) delivery run for his parents’ flower shop, things might have turned out differently.

But he _did_ sprint past that certain track coach. And that certain track coach _did_ convince Sena’s parents to transfer him over to the elite E High School.

But not even that certain track coach could have guessed that real role that Sena had to play in _everything_.

(And, truthfully, it started by Sena being late to the transfer student assembly. The track coach’s role in everything was unusually small.)

There were still so many people Sena hadn’t met: Hayato Akaba, Seijuro Shin, and of course all the girls that were part of the UAC’s sister branch, but he’d have a play in all of their lives.

You see, none of the UAC members could see Sena’s placard, but if they could, through the heavy blooms of purple hyacinths, sweetpea blossoms, deep purple monkshood, and – the one good sign – pale blue forget-me-nots, it would read:

 

_Name: Sena Kobayakawa_

_Class: First year_

_Birthdate: December 21_

_Height: 5’ 1”_

_Weight: 106.0 lbs._

_Status: Tying Prophet of the Eldritch (TYPE)_


End file.
